U.S. sales of hybrid and diesel vehicles will likely more than double in the next seven years, cornering up to 11 percent of the market on the back of rising gasoline prices, according to a study released on Tuesday. Gas-electric hybrid vehicles, which accounted for 0.5 percent of the U.S. market in 2004, are expected to increase to 3.5 percent market share by 2012, while diesels are expected to grow from 3 percent market share in 2004 to 7.5 percent, the study released by J.D. Power-LMC Automotive Forecasting Services said. It estimates hybrid and diesel vehicles will account for 4.8 percent of the total U.S. market this year. Sales of Hybrid will rise. J.D. Power projects that hybrids, which accounted for just 0.5 percent of the U.S. market last year, will increase to 3.5 percent by 2012 -- totaling 650,000 vehicles. Diesels are expected to grow from a 3.4 percent market share in 2004 to 7.5 percent or 1.37 million. Americans bought 16.9 million new vehicles last year, and Power is projecting the market at more than 18 million in 2012. "Higher gas prices are acting as a catalyst for automakers and consumers to find alternatives to the traditional gasoline internal combustion engine," Anthony Pratt, Power's senior manager of global power-train forecasting, said yesterday in announcing the figures. Pratt said in an interview that his predictions for growth assume that gasoline will remain below $3.50 a gallon at the pump by 2012. Hybrid sales will rise with gas prices. ********* I think I said something on another thread about sales going up in a curve. A curving line perhaps from sales doubling for a few years. Yeah, it will won't curve forever but will eventually flatten out and then be more of an ascending line. But going from let's say .5% to 1% to 2% to 4% to 8% and then to the 12% predicted in 2012? Yeah. Isn't that sorta what I said? So, sales of fuel efficient cars will rise as gas prices go up. Well....duh.
